Pour point depressants

Introduction
• The pour point is the lowest temperature at which an oil or fuel will
pour when cooled under defined conditions.
• In general, the pour point is indicative of the amount of wax in an
oil.
• At low temperatures, the wax tends to separate. This can trap a
substantial amount of oil, inhibit oil flow and hinder lubrication.
Need?
• Although most of the wax is removed during base oil refining, high-
molecular weight species are necessary to achieve the desired
target viscosity.
• Therefore, pour point depressants are added to allow mineral oils to
efficiently function at low temperatures, while also keeping the
viscosity benefits at higher temperatures.
Mechanism
• Pour point depressants act through surface adsorption onto the
growing wax crystals.
• This limits the growth of wax crystals and their capacity to adsorb oil
and form gels.
Examples
• In 1931, alkylated naphthalenes, where in the alkyl groups
contained linear waxy paraffinic structures, were introduced. This
development encouraged the examination of other waxy materials
as candidates, and in 1937, Rohm and Haas patented the first
polymeric pour point depressants, polyalkyl methacrylates.
• Most commercial products are moderate to high molecular weight
polymers, such as polymethacrylates, polyacrylates, acrylate-styrene
copolymers, esterified olefin- or styrene maleic anhydride
copolymers, alkylated polystyrene, and vinyl acetate-fumarate
copolymers.
Common structure of PPD
Synthesis
Applications
Pour point depressants are used in most lubricant types, including:
• Crankcase engine oils
• Automatic and power transmission fluids
• Automotive gear oils
• Tractor fluids
• Hydraulic fluids
• Circulating oils
Manufacturers
• Some of the major players operating in the pour point depressant
industry are Afton Chemical Corporation, Chevron Corporation,
Croda International Plc., The Lubrizol Corporation, Sanyo Chemical
Industries Ltd., Innospec Inc., Clariant AG, Messina Incorporated,
Akzo Nobel N.V., and Evonik Industries AG
Market
• Global pour point depressant market attained a size of $1,487.2
million in 2016 and is projected to witnes a CAGR of 3.7% during
2017-2023.
• The application of PPD is growing in the lubricant, automotive, and
oil and gas industries.
• Some of the factors that are driving the growth of the industry
around the world are the growing demand of vehicles, resulting in
high demand of lubricants and increasing crude oil refining capacity
to cater to the growing energy demand.
Thank You